Gilded Lace Jewelry

The jewelry collection, Orlando’s Identities, is a presentation of androgynous designs, inspired, in part, by the witty and poetic 1992 film Orlando, which itself was loosely based on Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel of the same name.

For the designs, I turned to the finest and most feminine of laces: European Chantilly lace. But my intention was to use it in creating a feminine/masculine juxtaposition. I cut and shaped many of the designs to display the universally recognized masculine – Mars shield and spear, and/or the feminine – Venus mirror on a handle. What’s more, I made most of the designs geometric, which has traditionally been viewed as masculine. But I wasn’t finished there. Also featured in the collection are a necktie and a pocket square brooch – traditionally haberdashery accessories reinterpreted in a lush and shimmery new mode. The pocket square doubles as a necklace that can hold flowers.

And I gave each jewelry piece a gender-neutral name – such as Skyler, Alex, and Drew.